Athletes
Serhiy Sidey: The Homecoming
Dana White’s Contender Series Graduate Discusses Perfect Storm Of Events Leading To His Hometown Debut At UFC 297
Seconds after eating a straight left hand, Serhiy Sidey landed a quick one-two that put Ramon Taveras on the deck, and as he chased him to the canvas looking to pound out a finish, referee Kevin MacDonald came rushing in to stop the fight.
But rather than get to revel in collecting a first-round stoppage win on Dana White’s Contender Series and punch his ticket to the UFC, the Burlington, Ontario product was left with a chip on his shoulder, frustrated by an early stoppage and all the talk that followed.
“After the Contender Series, there was a chip on my shoulder,” said Sidey, who will face off with Taveras in a rematch of their September encounter this weekend at UFC 297 in Toronto. “I knew I had that finish, and unfortunately, the ref pulled me off a little early. It was one of those things where it sucks for me, it sucks for Ramon.
“I agree it was an early stoppage, but I knew I had that finish, so that chip on my shoulder was there. As upset as he was, I was there, too, because I saw his eyes, I saw he was out of it, and I was gonna finish him off.
“The only thing I kept saying to myself after — because I was a little (grits teeth) because it was right there — but all I remember telling myself was ‘control the controllable,’” continued the 27-year-old, who moved with his family from Ukraine to Burlington when he was in primary school. “The ref getting in between us? I can’t control that. If I kept punching, I’d get in trouble probably, so control the controllable.
“I knew Ramon was gonna have another shot, so I had that feeling in my head that ‘if he fights and wins, that’s a perfect rematch and a perfect storyline.’ And then Dana was like, ‘Let’s run it back in Toronto!’”
It’s a truly unique opportunity for the tandem bantamweight newcomers — arriving on the biggest stage in the sport ready to resolve previous tensions and determine once and for all who is the better man — and combined with the event taking place at Scotiabank Arena, it all feels like a dream scenario that Sidey manifested into reality.
“It’s a great way to start my UFC career, with a great plot already,” offered the streaking bantamweight, who carries a six-fight winning streak into his preliminary card appearance this weekend. “There are some eyes on it already, some hype on it already, so it all just naturally manifested itself.
“I definitely didn’t expect it, but I’m glad it happened,” he said in regards to things coming together the way they have. “I go with the flow and things happen in very strange ways, but, for some reason, it always works out in the end. The fact that he’s coming to Canada and I get to do it in my hometown is an amazing feeling, for sure.
“I honestly can tell you that I used to be driving down the highway in Toronto — end of my amateur career, beginning of my pro career — and I would drive by (the arena), picturing myself walking out in that arena; driving past, bumping Drake.”
While we’ll have to wait until the weekend to find out whether or not Sidey makes his first trek to the Octagon with Drizzy bumping through the arena everyone from the area still refers to by its original acronym, “The ACC,” one thing that is definite is that he’ll be the one showered with applause and adulation when he does venture towards the cage, which wasn’t always the case during his regional career.
Though he logged a handful of appearances in his native Ontario during his 9-1 run prior to facing Tavares in Las Vegas at the start of September, Sidey’s trips to the West Coast where he won and successfully defended the Battlefield Fight League bantamweight title are what elevated his profile the most.
On four different occasions, the sinewy Aegis MMA representative boarded a plane, flew to Vancouver, and turned back the best available opponents in the area, bringing BFL gold home with him each time.
“I enjoy both experiences,” he said with a laugh when asked about finally getting a home game this weekend. “I liked being the bad guy, showing up to B.C., taking out their guys, taking their belts, coming back to Ontario.
“But I also enjoyed when I fought in Kingston at BTC against Walel Watson; the energy from the crowd, with all my family, all my friends, all my supporters there because damn, bro — that was one of my best performances.
“As soon as the fight started, I was on. I felt like the energy from the crowd went into my hands and I was able to land heavy shots from the get-go. I feel like it’s going to be a repeat this time.”
A big part of what has the UFC rookie so confident heading into his promotional debut is the amount of effort that goes into each training camp, and the type of competitors he’s pushing himself against day in and day out.
Over the last couple years, there has been a real growth and consolidation of Canadian talent in the Greater Toronto Area and down the QEW in the Niagara region, with fighters from Aegis MMA, BTC, House of Champions, and Niagara Top Team joining forces, with the rising tide raising all the boats.
Led by fellow UFC 297 competitors Mike Malott and Jasmine Jasudavicius, there is a clear “new wave” of Canadian talent making an impact at the UFC level and throughout MMA as a whole, and working with those athletes on a daily basis gives Sidey the understanding that he’s done everything possible to put himself in a position to secure a victory on Saturday.
“This area is full of killers,” he said, shaking his head at the depth of talent bubbling up around him. “I don’t get any easy rounds. Every day, every practice I show up to, I’m getting pushed to my limits. I give my whoopins as much as I get my whoopins, but I think that is so important because it builds such confidence.
“When I step into the cage, I went through it all. I didn’t just smash people for eight weeks and then jump into this fight — I’m dealing with tough situations; killers in grappling and wrestling and striking.
“Mentally, it only makes me feel better about myself because I know I’m giving it my all. I get that anxiety feeling every time I show up to sparring, every time I show up to wrestling. The literal butterflies, ‘Oh s*** — I’m about to get into a fight!’ feeling and I need it, man. I need it because when it’s fight night, it gives me that calm confidence that I didn’t cheat myself or cut any corners.”
And this time has been no different, which is why after everything has come together to deliver a fairytale debut, at home, with a built-in story and more attention than most clashes between recent DWCS graduates usually garner, Sidey is certain that on Saturday night, in front of friends, family, and thousands of other partisan fans, he’ll hear Bruce Buffer declare him victorious.
Order UFC 297: Strickland vs Du Plessis
“Bro…” he began, smiling and shaking his head. “I cannot wait to hear that. All I want to do is make sure that when that moment happens, I enjoy it; I sit back, take a deep breath, and enjoy it because that moment is one I’ve been visualizing for a very long time.
“When Bruce Buffer gives me that call and I hear the roar — it’s like taking all the drugs in the world in one moment; that’s what it feels like. All the hard work, all the discipline for that moment — I would do it over and over again to experience that moment each time.”
UFC 297: Strickland vs Du Plessis took place live from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on January 20, 2024. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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